Losing Innocence, Finding Self
by Level 250 Wild Goldeen
Summary: Ranma has been feeling different since the fight with Saffron. Something about him is changing...maybe for the better, maybe not. But one way or another, he will finally bring his life under his own control. Heaven help whoever stands in his way.
1. Prologue

Generic Disclaimer: I do not own the Ranma ½ characters, or any of the other characters mentioned in this story. If I make up a new character to put in, I'll let'cha know. Please don't take legal laction against me, I'm poor even by fanfiction author standards :(

And please don't tease me about the title of the story- I'll come up with something better...maybe.

Losing Innocence, Finding Self

Prologue:

For the past four hours, he had simply sat there, leaning back against the railing of the ship. He was physically exhausted, but he didn't want to sleep. If he slept, the nightmares would come again. The nightmares where he relived that last battle over and over again. Where he was reminded time and again of what he had done. He had taken a life- even if it was to save an innocent, he couldn't stop the guilt from eating at him.

But the guilt did not stem from the fact that he had killed. No, it was something far worse in his eyes. He had become something truly horrible. He had changed, become a monster, a monster that wanted very much to claim the life of his opponent. And it had felt right.

That was the feeling that scared him the most. He felt no remorse at having taken a life, something a martial artist was never supposed to do. A martial artist protected those weaker than him, used his strength to preserve life- not to take it away. Maybe he was justified in what he did, taking one life to save another. But he should have regretted it with all his heart. And he didn't. He simply could not bring himself to feel even the slightest sense of remorse over what he had done.

The others avoided him like the plague, even the one he had sacrificed his innocence for.He had risked his life for her, confessed that he loved her, and she just didn't care. Was this how it would always be? Would his father finally pressure him into marrying someone that blatantly disregarded his feelings day after day? Who hurt him time and again and almost seemed to enjoy it?

No. No more. He would not marry her. He would not marry any of his so called fiances, who only treated him as a prize to be won. He would not let his life be controlled anymore. His fool of a father was in for one nasty surprise the next time he pulled one of his idiotic stunts.

A small smile slowly formed on his lips, effectively banishing the formerly blank look on his face. Soon, very soon, his old man would find out the hard way what happened when you tried to cage a wild beast. They all would.

AN: Yes, I know, it's not much...but I'm about to go to sleep, I'm tired, lemme alone. I'll go back and revise it later if you hate it that much.


	2. Chapter 1: Freezing Point

Disclaimer Revised: I do not own any, I repeat, ANY of the characters or other material related to Ranma ½ or any future crossover series. If I create new characters, settings, or anything else for the purpose of furthering the storyline or simply because I feel like it, I'll let'cha know. 

Losing Innocence, Finding Self

Chapter 1: Freezing Point

* * *

Once again, the sensation of flying through the air at speeds that should have been impossible for a normal human to reach. But he wasn't exactly a normal human. Twisting himself around and flaring his aura slightly to bleed off momentum and absorb as much of the impact as possible, he braced himself for impact.

**WHAM!** **CRACK!**

And the sidewalk had yet another martial artist shaped impact crater. Specifically, an impact crater shaped like one Ranma Saotome. Said martial artist simply lay there for several minutes, breathing in and out slowly. The landing hadn't really done any damage- they never did. Not even the vicious uppercut, compliments of a certain gorilla-like tomboy, had hurt him. No, the physical abuse didn't bother him...it was the sentiment behind all the beatings that pained him time and again.

Shutting his eyes to block out the sun, and ignoring the citizenry walking around him, who, in turn, ignored him (they had grown used to martial artists periodically crash landing all around them), Ranma considered the people whose lives seemed so caught up with his own.

First, his father, Genma Saotome- probably the greatest source of all the chaos in his life. It was his fault Ranma had so many fiances chasing after him, his fault that they were both Jusenkyo cursed, that Ranma now turned into a girl and his father turned into a panda. It was because of his idiotic father that he had been seperated from his mother for over ten years, being subjected to insane and often nearly lethal "training" in the name of the Art.

His mother...Nodoka Saotome. He had been away from her for so long, and even after he had returned from the training trip, he dared not try to contact her. What if he wasn't manly enough? Once she found out about his curse, would she force him to commit seppuku? Would his own mother be willing to sentence him to death because he was not a "man among men"? But that was in the past. Nodoka had finally been reunited with her son, and she couldn't have been more proud of him. Ranma was her son, and she loved him. Even if she was just a bit...excitable at the prospect of getting grandchildren.

Thinking of his mother brought a small smile to Ranma's face. That smile slowly faded away as he thought about the next person whose life he had impacted when he arrived in Nerima.

Soun Tendo could have, at one time, been a strong man, and a powerful martial artist. Now he was little more than a bundle of nerves, constantly switching between crying his eyes out and going into his Demon Head technique when angered. He, along with Ranma's idiot father Genma, had constantly pushed Ranma into doing what they wanted. What was best for them. It didn't matter what he wanted, or how much they ended up hurting him. They just wanted to get him hitched to Akane, Soun's youngest daughter, as soon as possible so that they could live off him while he worked and sweated to maintain the dojo.

Akane...because of an agreement made between Genma and Soun before either of them were even fathers, Ranma and Akane were engaged to be married. Once, Ranma had cared deeply for Akane, maybe even loved her. But that had been beaten out of him. She never trusted him, she always jumped to conclusions and beat him, she always took everyone else's side over his. She had a kind heart, underneath all the violence and anger, but it seemed that she would never favor Ranma with that kindness. Maybe in another time, another place altogether, they could have been together- but not now, not here...it just wasn't meant to be. That had been made painfully clear to him at the failed wedding attempt.

Thinking of the failed wedding brought a grimace of pain to Ranma's face. That had hurt him, hurt him more deeply than any of Akane's malletings or careless words. Hurt him more than all of his rivals attempting to beat him into a bloody pulp. All his so called friends, fiances and rivals had crashed what could have been a truly joyous event. Because of them, he missed out his chance at a cure to his curse. Because of them, he and Akane had been violently pushed apart again after they had just begun to become close. Everyone had blamed him for the disaster, even Akane...

...Well, not everyone. His mother had even told him that none of it was his fault. Kasumi had been there to give him soothing words when he needed them the most.

Kasumi...she was the kindest, purest soul Ranma had ever met. The eldest Tendo daughter, she was completely devoid of jealously, blame, spite, of anger and of hate. She was always there for him, comforting him when he needed it the most. It saddened him to think of how she was often little more than a servant around the home, a housewife since she was a little girl. She deserved so much more than that. Kasumi deserved to find someone to care for HER, to take her away from all the housework and responsibility that had burdened her for years. She deserved to be happy. And Ranma vowed that he would do his best to help her find that happiness.

The biggest surprise came when Nabiki had actually apologized to him after the failed wedding. The middle Tendo daughter, she had been forced to keep their ancestral home afloat after their mother died and left Soun a broken shell of a man. As a result of her attempts at financial stability for her family, she had become known as the Ice Queen of Furinkan High School. Blackmailing, running betting pools, selling information- because of the things she had to do in order to make money, she had to keep tight control over her emotions. Eventually, people saw her as a cold hearted mercenary and avoided her at all costs, which made life lonely for Nabiki. But it wasn't true. She wasn't cold hearted, she simply couldn't afford the luxury of showing emotion. And Ranma respected her for everything she had done. She, like Kasumi, had given up much of her life to keep her family together. Three weeks ago, Ranma and Nabiki had a long talk with one another, and finally came to a full understanding. Now, Nabiki, like Kasumi, was one of Ranma's closest friends (in secret of course- she couldn't afford to ruin her reputation, after all). She was even trying her hardest to help Ranma find a way out of all of his problems, and he appreciated that with all his heart.

His expression, which had slowly drifted back to that small, warm smile as he thought of his newest friends, began to wane once more. Friends...he thought of his best friend since childhood, Ukyo.

Ranma and Ukyo, or Ucchan as he liked to call her, had been best friends when they were little. Little did he know, however, that his father and Ukyo's father had agreed to have them engaged. As Ukyo's Dowry, her father had given Genma his yattai. Shortly after, Genma had taken off with Ranma and the yattai- and without Ukyo. Years later, Ranma had finally been reunited with his best friend, only to find out that Ukyo was a girl, she was engaged to him, and she was trying to kill him out of revenge. Fortunately, he had avoided death at the hands of his best friend. Unfortunately, said best friend became his newest fiance.

Ranma sighed softly to himself, thinking of Ucchan. The friendship between them had become strained lately- at first because she constantly tried to manipulate that friendship to get Ranma to marry her, and now because of her part in the disastrous failed wedding.

Speaking of manipulation...

Centering his thoughts on a certain perky Chinese Amazon, Ranma shifted his body to make himself a bit more comfortable in the impact crater that had resulted from his less than stellar landing.

Shortly after receiving their curses at the cursed training grounds of Jusenkyo, Genma dragged his irate son to a nearby Amazon Village. There, the old fool had made yet another mistake, which he immediately left to his son to handle. He had eaten the feast that was meant to be the prize for the winner of the tournament that was currently underway. When the tournament champion, Shampoo, had confronted Genma about it, he left it to Ranma to defeat her in combat to get himself out of trouble. Ranma had easily taken down Shampoo, who was exhausted after the tournament- unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing. She had given Ranma, who had been in his cursed female form at the time, the Kiss of Death, which was a promise to hunt her down and kill her according to Amazon Law. After finally escaping Shampoo by swimming from China to Japan, Genma and Ranma thought that they were finally safe. They were wrong. Soon after, Shampoo and her great grandmother, Cologne, the Amazon Matriarch at over three hundred years old, showed up in Nerima to hunt down Ranma. Shampoo then found out that Ranma was really a guy, and had accordingly given him the Kiss of Marriage, making them officially married in accordance with Amazon Law. This did not sit well with Ranma, who did not particularly enjoy the idea of becoming a second class citizen in a society run by warrior females, and especially Genma, who saw it as a threat to his early retirement.

Ranma laughed softly to himself, reminescing about all the tricks Shampoo and especially her Cologne had pulled to get him to return to China with them. They sure made life interesting. Cologne had even taught him a few techniques, even if they usually were for a price. He had even come to see her as somewhat of an adopted grandmother- although he'd be damned if he would marry Shampoo, or any of the other fiance's. Shampoo was a nice girl, a bit too forward but fun to be around. It was hard to be depressed around her. But she was constantly trying to force Ranma to do as she wanted, and that irked him to no end. Ukyo was his best friend, he could always talk to her about things...but she had used that friendship to try and coerce him into marriage one too many times. Akane didn't trust him, always lost her temper, and constantly beat him with little or no provocation. The agreement between their fathers did not specify which Tendo daughter he had to marry, but he was only friends with Nabiki and Kasumi. And besides, Ranma still hoped to cure Tofu of his...ailment, and get him together with Kasumi.

That brought him to the fourth self proclaimed fiance, Kodachi. Ranma couldn't stop himself from shivering when he thought about that insane laughter of hers. The girl was obviously not quite right in the head, and he could understand why, considering the family she came from. Hopefully one day someone would be able to help her. Ranma believed that she only needed someone to care for her, and she would snap out of it. But that someone would not be him, and he would continue to avoid her as best he could. He didn't appreciate all the paralysis powder, poisons, and other strange chemicals Kodachi employed in her dellusional quest to claim her "Ranma-sama".

Sighing softly, Ranma opened his eyes and slowly stood up. It was time to return to the Tendo Dojo, to the chaos of his life. Thinking of all his current problems, Ranma didn't notice as his face lost all expression, his gaze turned frigid, and the temperature around him dropped several degrees.

* * *

"Where is that jerk! Probably out with one of those floozies. Grrr...when he gets back, I'm going to make him regret being such a pervert!" Said a certain angry tomby, gripping the stairwell so hard her knuckes turned white. 

"Calm down sis, it's YOUR fault for punting him across town, remember?" Nabiki calmly stated, shifting her focus from the television.

"It's not MY fault he's always doing perverted stuff!" Akane huffed, releasing her deathgrip on the stairwell, "I just make sure he gets what he deserves!".

Rolling her eyes, Nabiki just returned to watching the news, silently wishing for Ranma to catch a break for once.

A few moments later, Kasumi walked in the room, smiling sweetly as usual. "Nabiki, have you seen Ranma around? Dinner is almost ready, and I wouldn't want him to miss a meal. He needs his strength, after all." Left unsaid was that he needed all the strength he could get just to survive another malleting.

Twisting around on the sofa to face her older sister, Nabiki spared a glance at Akane before answering "Not since Akane sent him flying over the horizon." Hinting at a smile, and with some affection in her voice, she added "You know Ranma...he would never miss a meal."

"Yeah, that jerk's always hungry. I'll bet he's getting food from that Chinese hussy!" Akane growled out.

Kasumi ignored her youngest sister, giggling slightly and addressing Nabiki once again "Well when Ranma gets back, please tell him to wash up and get ready for dinner quickly, or his father might eat his share"

"Will do sis," Nabiki told her older sister's retreating form.

'Oh please let Ranma be alright' Kasumi thought to herself, worrying about her pigtailed friend.

* * *

'It is time to tell him...I hope he can forgive me for keeping the truth from him for all these years. He must know...before it is too late.'

* * *

"Finally made it back," Ranma mumbled to himself, slowly making his way to the front door of the Tendo home. Sniffing the air, he smiled broadly and began walking faster. 'Kasumi's making dinner! Her cooking always cheers me up almost as much as her kind words do,' he thought brightly, 'and it smells like she's making my favorite! Maybe today is turning out to be better than I thought after all.' 

Unfortunately, he couldn't have been more wrong. Life seems to have a knack for crashing down on him whenever things start to go well.

Hmm...yeah...Sorry 'bout this, but its very likely I'll have a bunch of characters OOC and such. But eh, its my story, my choice. If you don't like it, then I'm sorry, I've either changed someone intentionally to fit in with my story, or on accident because...er...I'm a failure.


	3. Chapter 2: Boiling Point

Return of the Disclaimer: If you don't get it by now, you never will...anyway, I do NOT own any of the stuff (characters, settings, situations) mentioned in this fanfiction. I am not profiting in any way off this story. I'm sure you've read enough fanfiction to know who Ranma ½ really belongs to, so I won't bother.

AN: The flashbacks and memories in chapter 1 were for the benefit of my prereader(hopefully prereaders in the future) who know nothing of Ranma ½. Sorry to bother ya with stuff you already know, but it's necessary.

* * *

Losing Innocence, Finding Self

Chapter 2: Boiling Point

* * *

As soon as Ranma stepped through the front door, his danger sense flared to life with a vengeance. 'Damn, I knew it was getting too peaceful around here. Ah, well, it can't be that bad...right?'

Ignoring the voice in the back of his head that sarcastically replied 'Oh, no...it's going to be a LOT worse,' Ranma concentrated and extended his senses throughout the house. 'Hmm...Kasumi's in the kitchen, Nabiki's in the living room with a royally ticked off Akane, and the two idiots are upstairs doing...something. Feh, probably coming up with another stupid scheme to get me to marry Akane...like that'll ever happen.'

Taking a moment to savor the peace that was about to be blown sky high, Ranma breathed in deeply. Exhaling slowly, he mentally braced himself and strode forward into the living room...

...and ducked under the incoming mallet. "RANMA! Where have you been!" screamed a certain tomboy.

Wincing more at the tone than the loudness of the shout, Ranma decided to try and defuse the situation before it spiraled out of control "I was just taking my time getting back here. I was hoping you would've calmed down by now 'cause I don't feel like arguing."

Normally, Ranma's stuttering form of communication could almost be considered a borderline speech impediment. But lately, his mother had taken the time to help him with his academic problems, stating that "A man among men must also be well educated," although she said it in a teasing way.

Of course Akane, who was used to the pigtailed martial artist constantly tripping over his own tongue, didn't know that. Blinking in surprise, she could only collect herself enough to reply "Oh...okay," before she stumbled over to the sofa and plopped down next to Nabiki.

Smirking slightly, and making sure Akane didn't notice, Nabiki shot Ranma a look that said "nice job" before returning her attention to the television once more.

Ranma mentally cheered. For once, he had actually gotten out of a situation with words alone. Internally sighing in relief when Akane's mallet returned to 'stuff space', He was about to head out to the dojo to continue his training where he had left off when Nabiki's voice stopped him "Oh, Ranma, Kasumi told me to tell you that dinner will be ready soon. She said you should hurry up and get yourself ready before your father eats your share."

Turning around slightly so she could see it, Ranma favored Nabiki with a thankful smile. "Thanks Nabiki. If Kasumi asks, I'll be ready in a few minutes."

Nodding in acknowledgement of his thanks, Nabiki glued herself to the television once more as Ranma made his way upstairs to the bathroom in order to wash up.

Five minutes later, Ranma was feeling refreshed as he sat down at his usual place to eat. Smiling happily as Kasumi brought in her latest culinary masterpiece, he complimented her, as usual, wonderful cooking. "Smells great as usual, Kasumi."

Returning his smile with her own, she voiced her appreciation at his praise "Thank you, Ranma. It's always a pleasure to cook for someone who appreciates it as much as you do."

Ranma would have replied, but he was interrupted by a shout of "What a haul! What a haul!"

Holding in a sigh of frustration, he counted the seconds until the shriveled old letch, Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, Happosai made his appearance at the table. 'Just this once, please don't let that old perv cause me any trouble. Please?'

Sadly, Ranma's pleas fell on deaf ears. 'Hmph, I still need to punish my student for the last time he ruined my fun. How can he expect to be heir of the Anything Goes style if he can't even appreciate the finer aspects of the Art?'

"So m'boy...I saw you out with your cute little Chinese girlfriend earlier today. What was her name? Shampoo, wasn't it? Aaah yes...you are definitely a lucky one. I think if any other guy tried anything THAT fresh with her, she'd break them in half!" Happosai had to suppress an urge laugh when he saw the looks on his student's faces. As angry as they looked, Akane's battle aura was ten times bigger and still growing!

'Aw hell' Ranma thought to himself as he felt his pigtail rise and stand on end. Definitely not a good sign.

"Boy! How dare you cheat on your fiance! Don't you have any honor? Oh the shame of raising such a worthless son!" Bemoaned the overweight sometimes panda.

"Son, how can you cheat on your future wife like that! To make it up to her, you must marry her immediately! I'll call a priest! Genma, you beat, er, convince Ranma here to see the error of his ways and marry Akane." commanded the Tendo patriarch.

Hearing that, Akane's battle aura flared up even more. "I don't want to marry that perverted freak! I hate him!" she shouted to deaf ears.

"Do you hear that Soun ol' buddy? True love! They were meant to be together!"

"Quite right Genma, It must surely be a match blessed by the Heavens!"

Now grinning openly, Happosai turned to his 'heir' and stated "Heheh, that'll teach you to ruin an innocent old man's fun. What goes around comes around!"

Only Nabiki and Kasumi noticed that Ranma had refrained from saying anything during the whole exchange. His face was tilted down, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. They could feel the room suddenly getting colder. In a matter of moments, the area immediately around Ranma felt as cool as ice, encouraging the two elder Tendo daughters to begin backing away from the silent martial artist and out of the room, and hopefully out of the crossfire.

Everyone froze in place when they heard a voice, smooth and cool as a glacier, evenly declare "I will not marry her. It's obvious that she feels nothing but scorn for me, so I have no reason to be with her. And I won't let you control my life anymore."

Slowly, as one, they turned towards the source of the emotionless voice. It had come from Ranma.

"Now see here you ungrateful boy, you-"

"Son, it is a matter of honor that you ma-"

The drinking water in the glasses and pitcher had frozen over, and the soup was starting to approach the freezing point as well.

"Shut up, both of you," Ranma commanded in a frigid and dead tone that brooked no argument, "I will not marry Ukyo or Shampoo. I will not marry Kodachi."

Although his voice was barely above a whisper, it carried throughout the entire house, chilling the air. The two patriarchs of their respective families, at hearing Ranma's last statement, were ready to weep for joy. They never got the chance as that toneless voice cut them off once more.

"And I especially will not marry Akane. Do not make me repeat myself again."

By now, Akane had backed away to the far wall, sensing something was off. The two fathers were too caught up in their scheming to notice, and Happosai believed he could put his upstart heir in his place if he needed to. But she understood now, at last. Ranma had been pushed too far. It was time to push back.

"Very well, boy! If you won't listen to reason, then we will have to put you back on the proper path by force!"

"Son, I don't want to do this, but you leave us no choice. It is for the good of the schools that you MUST marry my daughter!"

The ice cracked, and various glasses and bowls shattered.

Slowly, Ranma raised his head and gazed directly at the duo that presumed to control his life. Genma and Soun involuntarily took a step back at the look he shot at them. There was no anger, no hate, no confusion or sadness. There was nothing. His eyes were like twin pools of ice, threatening to freeze everything in their empty gaze.

"I...have had...enough." Ranma impassively stated as he stood up.

"No more...I won't let anyone control my life anymore." He stood there, motionless, daring them with his soulless stare to make the first move.

Trembling slightly, wether from the cold or fear or both, Genma and Soun each took up an aggressive stance before launching themselves at Ranma.

Realizing the two older martial artists had been training partners for years, Ranma knew that the duo had developed strategies for fighting in tandem over the years. That was the only thing that saved him from a nasty surprise when he ducked Genma's punch only to find himself face to face with Soun's incoming kick. Expecting the pair to attempt such an underhanded feint, Ranma easily caught Soun's leg in one hand while he launched a vicious punch into the elder Saotome's gut, sending the overweight martial artist sprawling backward.

Quickly standing back up, Ranma blocked Soun's axe hand, disrupting the older man's attempt at freeing his leg. Smashing his elbow into Soun's sternum, Ranma grabbed Soun's arm with his free hand and spun him around twice before hurling the makeshift human projectile straight at his father. Just as Genma was regaining his feet, Soun collided with him, sending them both flying through the front door.

Ranma slowly made his way outside, giving the aging fighters plenty of time to hop over the fence and into the street, hopefully giving them a small advantage as they took up stances on opposite ends of the block.

Approaching warily, mindful of any tricks the two old fools might try to pull, Ranma suddenly blurred forward, smashing his foot up into Soun's chin before he could even react. Soaring backward, the Tendo Patriarch could only angle his body to lessen the impact just before he slammed into the wall of a nearby house, causing several large cracks to spread over the masonry.

Genma, who was in better shape than his old partner, had still barely managed to track his son's rapid charge. Before Soun had even collided with his neighbor's home, the sometimes panda was upon his son, attempting to catch him with a powerful kick to the kidney.

Ranma didn't even bother to turn around and face his old man. He had sensed him coming from a mile away, and simply backflipped over Genma's kick, landing softly behind him. Genma, knowing that he had to react quickly to stand any chance of defeating his wayward son, shifted his weight and twisted around...just in time to hear Ranma call out "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!"

Genma felt more than saw hundred of punches impacting his abdomen, periodically causing small sonic booms to resound in his ears. Stumbling backward several feet as the punches finally stopped coming, he was completely unprepared for Ranma's flying kick. Feeling his entire pudgy frame rattle from the force of the kick smashing into his chest, Genma was sent flying into the same wall his friend was currently sitting against, swimming in a state of semi-consciousness.

Standing there impassively, Ranma simply waited as his two opponents began to slowly shake the cobwebs from their heads. He barely had time to dodge out of the way as a small bomb landed in the spot he had been occupying moments previous, heralding the arrival of Happosai.

A slight frown marred Ranma's otherwise blank expression for a moment, nothing more than a slight downward tug at the corner of his mouth. "What do you want, old letch?"

Other than a slight twitch from his eyebrow, Happosai gave no indication that he had even heard the remark. "Come on m'boy, enough of this. Just because my students are incompetent failures does not mean I will stand idly by while you beat away what little dignity they have left. Just turn around and walk back into the house, and we'll forget this ever happened, eh? Otherwise...I will be forced to deal with you myself."

If at all possible, Ranma's visage became even colder. "No."

"No?"

"No. I will not let you or anyone else push me anymore. Ryouga and Mousse have agreed to leave me alone. They even offered to become friends! Even Kuno has begun to mellow out a bit! But you...you just won't let me live the way I want to live. I guess wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age, does it? Your just a perverted old fool. No better than those two," Ranma finished in barely a whisper, gesturing to the two patriarchs, who were just then beginning to stir.

This time, Happosai did react. Scowling deeply, he growled out "Impertinent boy! I am the Grandmaster of Anything Goes Martial Arts! I have over three hundred years of experience in combat! Do you really think that YOU can go against ME!"

Ranma deigned not to reply, simply propelling himself through the air, ricocheting off a streetlight and closing in on Happosai at break neck speeds.

"Hmph. Foolish boy, it's time I put you in your place...permanently!"

* * *

AN: Sorry to end it right here but...it just seemed to work out better this way. I hope you guys like this chapter. I'll be working on the next one immediately...well, maybe after a short break. And thank you all for the reviews and especially for the suggestions! I'm trying to get better as a writer, and your helping me tremendously. I guess I'll address some of you individually...sure, why not. 

MazokuRanma: Yes, I know what your talking about. Ranma will eventually have to realize that he has made a lot of mistakes as well. And with that realization, he will grow.

Darkepyon: I agree. I can't express it any better than that- I do NOT like Akane being paired with Ranma. And the others- depends on what story I'm reading. Different authors manage to portray them differently, and such.

Renzokuken-Sama: Thank you VERY much. Your comments are definitely helping me to shape the future of my story a bit. If you have any other suggestions, please don't hesitate to make them.

The rest of ya': Well damn...all the positive reviews are doing wonders for my confidence. I hope you enjoy my later chapters. Now I need to take a break...my brain is fried!


	4. Chapter 3: Breaking Point

Disclaimer of Misplaced Identities: I do not own any of the stuff mentioned in this fanfiction. There, good enough.

AN: Everything begins to come together in this chapter! Sooo...I suggest you pay close attention to details or...something...yeah...I'll leave you alone now.

* * *

Losing Innocence, Finding Self 

Chapter 3: Breaking Point

* * *

'Hmph, the boy still has so much to learn.' Happosai thought to himself as he almost negligently blocked Ranma's kick with his pipe, extending his aura into it to reinforce it and absorb the impact. 

Ranma was surprised, although it didn't show on his face. He had put all his power into that kick, and Happosai didn't even look like he had strained to block it. Recovering quickly, he launched an intricate combination of punches and kicks meant to confuse and disorient his opponent.

Unfortunately, Happosai himself had invented many of the moves Ranma was using, and he easily used his pipe to block, parry, and redirect attacks. "Too slow, m'boy! Let me show you what real speed is!"

Finding himself suddenly switching to the defensive, Ranma was hard pressed to dodge or block the rapid succession of blows that even he had trouble following. And he wasn't able to avoid them all. A jab to the shoulder here, a barely avoided sweep there- he was quickly losing ground, and the attacks that made it through his defense were starting to take their toll.

His mind racing to come up with some way, any way of defeating Happosai, Ranma managed to come up with a course of action. A risky one, but it was better than nothing

'I hope this works...' the pigtailed fighter prayed as he condensed his battle aura around him, concentrating it into his hands.

Happosai was enjoying himself immensely. 'Heh, this'll show the young fool not to-' his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a call of "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN REVISED: GLACIAL FISTS!"

Taking the brunt of several hits as he dropped his defense altogether, Ranma's hands flared to life with an icy blue aura as they struck out at phenomenal speeds, becoming a blur as his fists impacted with Happosai's pipe hundreds of times in the span of a few seconds.

Taken by surprise, Happosai used his pipe to prevent the punches from hitting him, then jumped back several yards to gain some breathing room.

"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma...you disappoint your master! Did you really think such an obviously poorly thought out tactic would work on me? Hah! Let me show you how it's done!"

And with that, Happosai charged forward again, intent on delivering righteous punishment upon his misguided heir. He thrust forward with his pipe at the same time that Ranma threw a punch of his own. Happosai smirked to himself, waiting for Ranma's fist to collide with his pipe, to...shatter it to pieces!

Unnoticed by Happosai, the target of Ranma's attack had been his weapon, instead of directly attacking Happosai himself. The ki Ranma condensed around his hands had been cold enough to actually freeze his pipe, and the last punch had shattered it like glass...

...and continued onward, smashing into the shrunken pervert's face and sending him flying back several yards. Flipping to right himself in midair, the old lech landed on his feet, sliding back another six inches.

Not giving his opponent time to recover, Ranma dashed forward, intent on making use of any advantage he could get. He was not fast enough, however- Happosai was already prepared to intercept Ranma's charge.

But he wasn't prepared when Ranma jumped over his head and flipped in midair, waiting until his body was parallel to and directly above Happosai. "MOKO TAKABISHA!" he called out, tossing his trademark ki attack straight down at his opponent.

Happosai nearly laughed to himself as he judged the trajectory of Ranma's jump, then leapt into the sky to intercept him, effectively dodging the ki projectile. However, he wasn't prepared for the glowing ball of energy floating directly in his face.

"MOKO TAKABISHA!" was the last thing he heard before the ki shot crashed into him, flinging him down the street, into and through the wall of a local convenience store.

Ranma touched down on the ground, allowing his body to recover some of his spent energy while he waited for the ancient Grandmaster of Anything Goes to make another appearance.

He didn't have to wait long, as a small figure burst through the front door of the building, landing on top of a mailbox, dripping water and...crustaceans?

"RANMA! How DARE you throw your master into a tank full of live lobsters! This has gone on long enough! I will show you why I am the Grandmaster of Anything Goes Martial Arts!" Happosai roared as he dislodged a lobster and threw it at Ranma.

Ranma simply sidestepped the flying sea food without batting an eyelash. But when Happosai suddenly blurred forward in a flurry of punches and kicks, he couldn't stop his eyes from widening ever so slightly.

Catching his intended pupil off balance, Happosai pressed forward, landing several painful hits before Ranma could even react. Stumbling backward, Ranma quickly regained his equilibrium and began trading blows with the lecherous gnome.

For several long moments, neither fighter could gain a clear advantage. Then Happosai brought out his secret weapon.

"Here you go, Ranma! A gift from the convenience store!" He shouted with glee as he took out a bottle of ice water, twisting off the cap and flinging the contents at Ranma.

The pigtailed martial artist didn't even blink as he, now her, shifted into her cursed form. She knew what was coming next, and was prepared for it.

With a cry of "Sweeto!" Happosai launched himself at Ranma, only to be violently rebuffed by means of a foot to the face propelling him over ten feet into the air.

Taking to the sky, Ranma jumped up after her self proclaimed 'master', calling out "KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" as she let loose with over a hundred vicious punches.

Happosai, perverted Grandmaster of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts hit the ground roughly eight seconds afterward, bruised and bloody.

Sparing only a moment to glance at her downed opponent, Ranma turned around to make her way back into the Tendo home...

...only to be caught from behind with a powerful kick to the back of her head, launching her forward several yards to land in a heap.

"Soun ol' buddy! Now that the Master has weakened the boy, it will be a simple matter of 'convincing' my wayward son to marry Akane!"

"Quite right! Simple indeed!"

Unfortunately, the two morons had a penchant for ruining even the most absurdly simple of plans. While they had taken the time to announce their latest plot, it had given Ranma the precious moments she needed to recover.

Rising to her hands and knees, and feigning weakness, Ranma waited until she judged Soun and Genma to be within range. Then, shifting her weight to her hands, she brought her legs close to her body and used all her strength to spring backward, uncoiling her legs and striking the moronic duo with her feet, hurling them both across the street.

Ironically, that sent them on a collision course with the same house as last time, even to the exact same spots.

Rolling onto her back to catch her breath, Ranma took a thermos out of 'stuff space' and emptied the contents over her head, changing him back into a guy. Shutting his eyes and concentrating to regulate his flagging energies, he spent several minutes recovering until he felt a presence nearby. Opening his eyes again revealed a diminutive shadow over his head. Shifting his gaze upward revealed the source of the shadow to be none other than Happosai, standing over him triumphantly.

"So m'boy...what have you got to say?"

"..."

"Come now, don't be a sore loser. How about an apology for your old master, eh?"

"...Water freezes at thirty two degrees."

His face scrunching up in confusion, the ancient lech responded intelligibly, "Huh?"

Without so much as blinking, and never taking his eyes off Happosai, Ranma lifted his right hand.

"What? You want me to help you up, eh? Heheh...guess this means you acknowledge that I am your better, eh boy?"

As soon as Happosai's hand made contact, Ranma concentrated the remainder of his ki into his hand and pushed it into the old lech. The frigid ki went through Happosai like a shockwave, freezing the water still clinging to his clothes and skin, effectively turning him into a frozen lawn gnome.

"Feh...you wish, old perv. Your not my master. I have grown more powerful than you, so you have no right to claim that I am your student. And since I have beaten you in less than fair combat, since the odds were in your favor, I hereby claim the title of Grandmaster of the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts."

Slowly getting to his feet, and wobbling slightly, Ranma then turned his attention to the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs. As soon as they became aware of their surroundings once more, came to his decision.

"It's clear to me that you will never leave me alone...that you will always try to bully or trick me into fulfilling YOUR idiotic engagement...right?"

At seeing their hesitant nods, he continued.

"Fine...well then, Pops...I guess that leaves only one way out for me, doesn't it? Only one way out of all the engagements..."

The elder Saotome shifted uncomfortably at the bad feeling gnawing away at the limp noodle he called a spine. "Wh...what are you going to do, boy?"

"...As of today, I am no longer a Saotome. I renounce my name." Ranma stated quietly, turning around once more to walk back into the house. But he was stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice calling to him, "Ranma...?"

Turning towards the source of the voice, Ranma was shocked into dropping the Soul of Ice as he faced...

"M...mom?"

AN: I hope you all like my attempt at writing fight scenes. Zero experience at it, eh. Well, we all gotta learn sometime, right? And yes, I know you hate cliffhangers...but it must be this way! Why? er...it uh...just does. Kcyabye! -runs-


	5. Chapter 4: Point of No Return

My one, my only, my Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ and/or any series that might show up in the future (hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink). If I create any new characters to further the plot, or simply for my own amusement, you will be notified. Aren't you the lucky one?

* * *

Losing Innocence, Finding Self 

Chapter 4: Point of No Return

* * *

'So this is how it's going to end? Fine...if this is the only way I can get any peace, I gladly accept' Ranma thought bitterly as his mother guided him towards the dojo. 

As they made their way to the dojo, Nabiki and Kasumi shot Ranma worried glances. Akane was still standing against the wall, shock clearly written all over her face. 'Heh...for once, the tomboy isn't shouting at me.'

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what was inevitably to come, Ranma stepped through the threshold of the dojo.

Sighing defeatedly, he decided not to delay his fate, "Alright mom...I'm ready. I won't try to get away from this. I know you want me to commit seppuku for what I've done, and I will accept your judgement."

Bowing his head, Ranma waited patiently for his mother's response. After several moments of receiving only silence in reply, he took a chance and lifted his head. "Mom?"

"Do you really think I would force my own son to kill himself?" Came the quiet, expressionless anwer.

"I..." Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ranma couldn't think of what to say. 'She...she's not going to make me...?'

"Ranma...you are my only son. You are more precious to me than anything. I would rather die myself than ever lose you. As long as you are happy, I will always support you in your decisions." Smiling warmly at her greatest source of pride, Nodoka stepped forward and caught Ranma in a loving embrace.

Fervently returning the hug, his voice catching with emotion, Ranma could only manage to whisper, "You aren't angry that I dropped the Saotome name?"

"...Ranma...you were never a Saotome to begin with..."

His blood suddenly freezing in his veins, the pigtailed one quickly broke contact with his mother and took a step back. "W...what:

Sighing softly to herself, the Saotome matriarch mentally prepared herself for what was to come. "Ranma...you ARE my son...but Genma is not your father."

'That bastard isn't my real father? Is this a dream? No, it can't be...but wait...if he's not my father then...' Mind racing to coherently phrase the most important question he had ever asked in his life, Ranma breathed in deeply.

"Then who is my real father?"

Turning her head away from her son, Nodoka hesitantly replied, "I can't tell you yet. Not now...but soon. Please Ranma...trust my judgement on this. You are not ready to know the truth yet!"

Pausing only an instant, the former Saotome nodded slowly before agreeing. "Alright mom...let me know when your're ready to talk about it."

Favoring her son with another bright smile, she clasped her hands together and stepped to wards the door.

"I will Ranma, I will. For now, You should pack your things. It will make me feel much better if you stay with me at my home. Your old room will be waiting for you when you arrive."

Nodding his thanks and grinning broadly, Ranma quickly accepted his mother's offer. "Sure mom."

Watching as the Saotome matriarch stepped through the door and disappeared from view, the pigtailed fighter decided to visit his favorite location in order to think.

Treading lightly through the dojo entrance, Ranma vaulted himself to the roof of the Tendo home. Sitting down and shifting slightly to make himself comfortable, he began to reflect on recent events.

* * *

As a certain pigtailed martial artist attempted to make sense of his life, a young woman rested her head on her pillow and considered her past- and her future. 

'It's not fair...why couldn't we be together? We were so happy...why did it have to end?'

Rolling onto her other side, she tried her best to stifle another tear.

'Am I meant to always be alone? Or...is there someone else out there for me?'

Sighing gently, she squeezed her eyes shut to try and fight away the sadness. Sleep claimed her soon after, and she began to dream...

* * *

Ranma was startled out of an exhausted sleep by a sharp pressure in his chest. Snapping his eyes wide open, he prepared to jump to his feet in a ready stance...and found that he couldn't move anything below his neck. 

Refusing to allow panic to set in, he quickly scanned the area until his eyes rested on a shrunken form standing nearby, arms crossed in superiority.

"Heheh...you put up a good fight m'boy, but you should know it takes more than a little ice to keep me down! Now...you will relinquish the title of Grandmaster to me. If you refuse, then I will have no choice but to punish you severely for your disobedience."

Happosai was met with only a defiant glare. His tone challenging, Ranma growled out, "You don't deserve to be the Grandmaster, old lech. You're a disgrace to the Martial Arts! Can't even beat me without using underhanded tricks!"

Snarling in rage, the lecherous gnome shot forward like a missile and slammed his foot into the prone martial artist's side. The force of the blow flung Ranma through the air and over the fence of the Tendo compound to crash painfully on the street below.

Fighting to retain consciousness, the young former Saotome could only watch helplessly as Happosai leapt down from the roof and approached slowly.

"Watch your mouth, BOY! As you are now, you do not stand a chance against me. I have used one of my more advanced pressure point techniques to lock your entire body below the neck. You are as helpless as a newborn! Don't be a fool...just give in, and it will all be over. Over time, I will be able to forgive your insolence. I can't begrudge you your youthful foolishness."

His eyes beginning to lose focus, Ranma found it to be increasingly difficult to think. 'Damn it...I can't even defend myself like this! What am I going to do? Maybe...maybe this is it...I've finally lost. But I can't give up! I won't!'

The last thought that crossed the former Saotome heir's mind before he drifted into unconsciousness was 'I...will not...fail...'

* * *

Shadows. All around him, shadows. Everywhere he cast his gaze, nothingness greeted him. Suddenly, a bright light banished the shadows and bathed him in warmth. From the light the outline of a humanoid form appeared. The figure was tall, towering over Ranma by over a head. Although he couldn't make out any of its features, he KNEW the thing was looking directly at him. 

"Who...are you?"

Ranma could somehow feel the figure smiling kindly at him, and it made him feel strangely at peace.

"Why are you letting that ancient fool win, Ranma? Why don't you stand up and show him your true power?"

Before he could even think, Ranma found himself answering, "I...I can't. He hit some kind of paralysis pressure point on me. I can't move! There's no way I can counter it."

The figure seemed to nod in agreement before replying, "Hmm yes...it is a very effective technique...against humans. So tell me Ranma...what is stopping you from rising up and claiming victory?"

A puzzled expression passed over Ranma's face as he hesitantly asked, "What...what do you mean?"

The figure seemed to smile even wider at Ranma as the light intensified, drowning out all else.

* * *

Turning from the downed pigtailed boy, Happosai smirked triumphantly as he began walking towards the Tendo home. 

"Heh...maybe in another hundred years, you'll be able to win against me. Maybe."

Laughing haughtily, the ancient pervert couldn't stop himself from tossing one last insult at the unconscious martial artist. "Don't worry about it, m'boy...you never really stood a chance. You weren't the first one foolish enough to challenge me, and you won't be the last."

Happosai continued on in a fit of laughter, celebrating his perceived victory. That is, until he finally took notice of the shadowed figure towering over him. A low, inhuman growl cut off his jubilation and stopped him in his tracks. He began turning around half a second before everything around him went dark.

* * *

Ranma awoke to the sensation of something damp and cool brushing against his forehead. Slowly opening his eyes and casting his gaze to the left revealed the source to be a wash cloth. His mother was kneeling down next to him, gently applying the damp cloth to his brow. 

"Mom? How did I get here?"

"Ryouga found you unconscious in the street. He actually managed to make his way here!" Nodoka answered, joyful that her son was finally awake.

'He actually managed to find my mom's house? Heheh...that's a surprise. Guess I owe him one. Wait a second...where's...'

"Happosai! Where is he!"

"Calm down Ranma! He is currently resting at a hospital in the Juuban ward. According to the news, somebody found him in an alley, close to death. When he finally woke up several hours later, he kept screaming and demanding they move him out of Nerima immediately. Do you remember what happened?" She asked, her voice full of concern.

"I...no...I don't. I can't remember much of what happened after you left the dojo. I just remember hopping up to the roof to think...then nothing after that."

"Ranma..." Nodoka began nervously, "There is something we need to discuss."

Immediatelysensing his mother's tension, Ranma shifted his full attention to her. "Does it have to do with my real father?"

Hesitating momentarily, the Saotome matriarch nodded before continuing, "Yes...it...it's time I explained everything."

AN: Eh...well, well. So many possibilities, so many answers to so many questions. Who was the sad young lady? What is Ranma, really? Who was his father? Just what happened to ol' Happi? There are many MANY ways I could continue the story...trying to consider them all makes my head spin. When I finally choose the path this story will take...I hope you guys don't hate me / Thanks for all the reviews! Keep 'em comin, good or bad, please!


	6. Chapter 5: Revealing the Past, Shaping t...

Disclaimer From HELL: I do not own any of the Ranma ½ characters...yet. Soon, I shall exert my power over them, forcing them to bend to my will! Dance my puppets, dance! But...I digress.

AN: Well, I made my choice. It might prove a bit difficult in later times, but ah, well. I'll live. It IS a concept that has been done before, I know. I don't care, I like it! A lot! There WILL be a few differences in how I do things, however. Oh and...if, by some wicked twist of fate, you correctly guess who the 'sad young woman' from the previous chapter was, you get...a cookie! Heh, good luck. The chances are astronomical.

* * *

Losing Innocence, Finding Self 

Chapter 5: Revealing the Past, Shaping the Future

* * *

"Ranma...your father was a great man. Loyal, brave, compassionate...he died fighting for what he believed in...he died to save his family. I look at you and I see so many of the same things. Your father would be very proud of you, just as I am." 

Ranma felt his heart swell at his mother's praise. For several long years on the road with his...with Genma, he had longed to hear the words of love and comfort most children take for granted.

Smiling warmly at the joyful look adorning her son's face, Nodoka cleared her throat and folded her hands in her lap. Nervously biting her bottom lip for several seconds, she decided on how to proceed.

"You and I are...different from other people. We look the same- at least right now we do- but we are very different. And I'm afraid that we are also the last of our kind."

Feeling depressed over the loss of a people he never had the chance to know, Ranma quietly asked, "What happened to all the others?"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, fighting to keep the memories from resurfacing, the Saotome matriarch barely managed to reply in a choked voice, "T...they were all killed at the hands of those we perceived as our allies. Many died without even getting the chance to defend themselves. Others were cut down as they tried to escape their fate."

Growling angrily, Ranma demanded of his mother, "Who was it? Who betrayed our people?"

Fixing her son with a stern gaze, Nodoka composed herself and smoothly replied, "That is in the past, Ranma. Do not commit yourself to vengeance...you would only be condemning yourself to death."

Deflating slightly, the pigtailed warrior tilted his head back and shut his eyes. Sighing softly, he waited several seconds before answering.

"Alright mom. I won't try to fight them, I promise."

Opening his eyes and bringing his head down again, Ranma continued in a serious tone, "But if they ever show up and try to hurt you...I'll make sure they regret it."

Nodoka couldn't stop herself from giggling slightly at her son's declaration. "So much like your father..."

She allowed the statement to trail off as she became lost in thought, remembering with fondness history long since past. After several long moments, the spell was broken by the phone ringing downstairs.

"Who could that be, I wonder? We will continue this after I see who it is."

Nodding to his mother as she exited the room, Ranma made himself comfortable and waited, meditating once more about recent events.

* * *

Sighing gently, a young woman made her way through the crowd, finally arriving at her destination. Resting for a moment in one of the park's many benches, she allowed her mind to wander. 

'I should stop feeling so sorry for myself. It's definitely not going to help me get over...him.'

Taking in the sights around her, and inhaling deeply to enjoy the fragrance of the local wildflowers, she smiled for the first time in several long weeks.

'I feel much better now. Taking a walk around the park was a great idea. Good thing I finally got out of the house, my family was really starting to worry.'

Her gaze grew wistful as she observed the many young couples around her, enjoying one another's company. Brightening suddenly, her smile quickly reappeared.

'Something good is coming, I just know it! But what? Hmm...winning the lottery? Nah. Receiving first prize in a contest I didn't even know I entered? Mmm...nope. Well what could it be? ...Maybe...'

* * *

Returning to her son's room, Nodoka handed him a glass of cold water. Accepting the drink gratefully and taking a sip, Ranma said in a sincere tone, "Thanks mom. Um...who was it?" 

Frowning slightly, Nodoka schooled her features before replying, "That was elder Cologne. She said that she has something important to discuss with both of us. She will arrive in about fifteen minutes."

Blinking in slight confusion, the pigtailed one nodded absently while focusing inward on his thoughts. 'The Old Ghoul is coming here? Why?'

A dark look crossed his face as he came up with a possible answer. 'If she comes here to try and force me to return to China with her...'

Noticing the look on her son's face, Nodoka snapped Ranma out of his thoughts before his mood worsened. "I still haven't explained exactly what we are, have I? There should be plenty of time to tell you...and show you."

Getting a strange feeling in the back of his mind, the former Saotome decided to stall for a bit of time. Tentatively, he inquired, "How did...how did my real father die?"

Caught off guard, Nodoka visibly stumbled for words before calming herself with a deep breath. "When we were betrayed, our allies turned on us and began to slaughter us. Your father...he sacrificed himself buying me time so I could escape. I wanted to stay with him, or have him escape with me, but he said there was no point in both of us dying. So I ran, and eventually made my way here to Japan. Our clan kept significant resources here, in case something ever went wrong and we had to go into hiding. A month after that nightmare, I found out I was pregnant. Since Japanese society looked down upon single mothers, and I needed to blend in, I made the mistake of marrying one Genma Saotome. He thought that you were his child and...well...you know the rest."

"I see..." Ranma remarked quietly, tilting his head forward slightly. 'Definitely a relief to know that fat fool isn't my real father...but mom could've picked someone better to marry. Ah, well.'

"Ranma..."

Retreating from his thoughts and raising his head to look his mother in the eye, the former Saotome heir hesitated momentarily before replying, "Yeah mom?"

Turning her head away from her son, Nodoka squeezed her eyes shut before continuing."I am so sorry...if I had known back then what kind of man he really was, and what he would have done to you, I-"

Ranma cut off his mother's apology, shaking his head animatedly. "It's not your fault mom. Don't worry about it. Everything turned out okay."

Smiling ruefully at her son's easy dismissal of the tortures suffered under his supposed father, Nodoka faced her child once more. "No, everything is not okay. What about the Neko-Ken, Ranma?"

Swallowing nervously as the strange feeling intensified, the martial arts prodigy let loose a shaky laugh and attempted to wave off the subject that had haunted him for so long. "As long as I stay away from cats, it isn't such a big deal."

Shaking her head sadly, Nodoka quietly stated, "It isn't that simple I'm afraid. Because of that bastard Genma, you may not even be able to face your own heritage."

Alarm bells began ringing in the back of Ranma's mind as he hesitantly asked his mother, "W-what...what do you mean?"

Instead of answering, she walked to the center of the room and began to loosen her clothing. "Ranma, this is going to be...difficult for you. Please, try to stay calm."

Giving her son a reassuring smile, Nodoka willed the change to begin. Ranma's eyes widened to epic proportions and his breath caught in his throat as his mother began to transform into a creature from his worst nightmares.

The Saotome matriarch suddenly shot up in height, to just over seven feet, filling out the loose clothes and stretching them to their limits. Brown spotted blonde fur sprouted all over her body, except around her hands and face, which had white fur. Her hair color changed from copper to the same spotted pattern as the rest of her. A black stripe now adorned each eye, running from her forehead to nearly the bottom of her face. However, all of Ranma's attention was on two new features. Cat-like ears replaced her human ones, and a tail now jutted from the base of her spine and swished about nervously, also cat-like. Very cat-like. Too cat-like.

'A c-c-cat! No! I gotta get away from it before it tries to eat me! Don't wanna die don't wanna die don't wanna die! B-but...mom would never hurt me. She said so herself. But a cat would! A giant, evil, demonic, feline from hell would love to tear me apart with those claws, and...and...no. She would never do that to me, I'm her son! She's my mom, not a demon c-c...feline.'

Nodoka worriedly watched on as love and fear warred with one another over Ranma's features. Guessing quite accurate at the source of the internal conflict, she adopted a soothing tone and attempted to reassure her child. "Ranma, you know I would never hurt you. I'm your mother, I love you."

Visibly relaxing, the pigtailed ailurophobe nodded slowly. 'That's right...she's still my mom, even if she looks a little...furrier than normal.'

Favoring his mother with a shaky smile, Ranma fought to keep his voice from quaking too badly. "S-so...w-what exactly are you...we?"

Letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, the maternal feline began her explanation. "Ranma, we belong to a race of magical creatures called the werecheetahs. We have access to three different forms. A human form, an animal form, and a hybrid form like this one."

Furrowing his brow in thought, Ranma began slowly, "Were...cheetah? Oh, like those big wild c...nevermind. You mean we're kinda like werewolves?"

Nodoka nodded mechanically, frowning darkly at the mention of the canine lycanthropes. The pigtailed progeny of werecheetahs, for once, managed to put two and two together. "Are werewolves the ones who turned on our kind and slaughtered them?"

Jerking once more from the painful memories, the Saotome matriarch wavered momentarily before giving confirmation. "Yes, it was them. They invited us to their homeland, claiming to want peace between us after years of animosity. Most of the clan agreed that ending the hostility between the werewolves and ourselves would greatly benefit us, Verias- that's your father, dear- and myself included. When we arrived they stabbed us in the back, butchering our people mercilessly. I already told you how I managed to escape that nightmare, thanks to your father's sacrifice."

"I...I see."

Taking a moment to sort out his thoughts, Ranma came to another realization. "Mom...if I'm a werecheetah too, how come I've never, you know, changed?"

Pleasantly surprised at her offspring's newfound mental alacrity, Nodoka felt pride once again fill her. 'He must have really taken what I said about furthering his education to heart.'

"Well son, that is because when you were born, I had to use a spell to lock you in your human form in order to avoid having people discover the truth of your origins- and mine. When you believe you are ready to accept your true form, I will remove the block on your transformation."

Studying his hand intently, Ranma allowed himself to become lost in thought once more. 'So I really look like a big freakin' c...feline, huh? Oh, Heaven must be having a field day with it. Twisted sense of humor, hitting me with this kind of irony.'

Before the discussion could progress any further, a familiar voice pulled their attention to the now open window. "So, it is as I suspected. Son-in-law really isn't human."

"Elder Cologne! How long have you been listening in on us?"

Noticing Ranma and Nodoka tensing up in expectation of a fight, the ancient Amazon leader waved her hand in dismissal. "Since about thirty seconds after I called. There IS a payphone right outside you know. Now settle down, I pose no threat to you."

Allowing their guard to fall marginally, mother and son kept a wary eye on Cologne. "You knew Ranma was a werecreature?"

"I suspected. I can sense the magic in his aura. At first I thought it was merely a result of his Jusenkyo curse. But then I noticed the exact same thing in your own aura, Mrs. Saotome. This merely confirms my suspicions. Although, I am very surprised to find a pair of werecheetahs of all things...terrible tragedy, what happened to your clan."

Tilting her head curiously, Nodoka could not stop herself from asking the question that had been steadily nagging at her since the elderly matriarch's arrival. "How do you know so much about us?"

Smiling wryly, Cologne answered without hesitating. "The Chinese Amazons have, in ancient times, hunted down a number of entities supernatural and magical in nature. Among those are demons, undead, ghosts, and...werebeasts."

Immediately, Ranma sprang to his feet and adopted a combat stance just milliseconds before his mother drew the Saotome Honor Blade, brandishing the katana with expert and deadly ease.

Grimacing lightly, the ancient Amazon raised her hands in a placating gesture. "As I told you, I am not here to do you any harm. My people only hunted down renegade weres that chose to prey on humans. And that was over half a century ago, we no longer condone such a practice."

Resheathing her sword as her son shifted into a neutral stance, Nodoka bowed her head in shame. "I beg your forgiveness, Honored Elder. I have lived for so long in fear of pursuit that I-"

Once again waving her hand in dismissal, Cologne smiled kindly as she cut off the werecheetah's apology. "I understand completely. You fear for both yourself and for your child. As a mother myself, I cannot begrudge you for protecting your family."

Raising her head, a dejected look crossed Nodoka's face as she sighed wistfully before responding, "It's not just that. My son and I are the last of the werecheetahs. If we die, then our race will be gone forever."

This time grinning widely, Cologne retrieved an envelope from one of the many hidden pockets in her robes before continuing. "Even though we no longer hunt any werecreatures, we still keep track of all known magical entities in the world. And we know of one other werecheetah, Mrs. Saotome."

Shocked beyond belief, Nodoka stumbled for words before managing to find her voice. "Then we aren't the only ones? Please, tell me where I can find this other werecheetah!" Nodoka insisted urgently while still managing to remain polite. Years of acting the part of a proper Japanese housewife had instilled manners as almost second nature to her.

With the same wide grin still adorning her wrinkled face, the Amazon elder handed Nodoka the envelope with a flourish. "Inside you will find the exact location of your lost clanmate, as well as two plane tickets. When you arrive at your destination, simply follow the enclosed instructions to find her."

Instantly bringing her attention up from the envelope in her hands, the elder werecheetah focused on the last word in Cologne's statement. "Her? The other werecheetah is female?"

Blinking in surprise at the unexpected question, the venerable ancient nodded her affirmation. "Yes, she is female. Why do you ask?"

But Nodoka was too far gone into her own little world to be bothered with answering. 'If the other werecheetah is female...then...our race can be revived! Yes, I can send Ranma out to locate her, giving them time to grow close. Given my son's track record with the opposite sex, it is almost guaranteed that they will fall for each other! But first...'

Ranma felt a shiver go up his spine as his mother returned her attention to him, a goofy smile prominent in her features. "Ranma, I want you to go and find this other werecheetah. I will remain here for a while in order to take care of unfinished business..."

Feeling the sensation of impending doom worsen significantly at the last statement, the pigtailed werecheetah began to squirm uncomfortably, frowning slightly. Noticing her son's lack of enthusiasm, Nodoka thought quickly, seizing the first idea that came to mind. "...including the legal nullification of all the engagement contracts."

Instantly brightening, Ranma forcibly restrained himself from jumping up and dancing in joy. 'No more fiance troubles! But...why is my danger sense going on full alert again?'

"Alright mom, I'll do it."

Barely managing to contain the giddiness rising up within her, Nodoka gave a mental cheer. "Good. I will join you after I finish up here. Before you leave, however, I need to remove the block on your transformation. I need to teach you how to shift forms, and you need to become used to your hybrid form."

Smiling weakly, Ranma resisted the urge to cringe in fear at the mention of his feline half. 'Oh, great. This is going to be fun...'

AN: Alright you big babies, no more cliffhangars (unless it is reeeeally necessary), I promise. Anyway, there you have it. Ranma's a werecheetah, like his mother. I'll explain the relationship between his parents, and the events leading up to his father's demise, in either a flashback or a sidestory. More likely a sidestory. Other holes in the storyline will be filled in thusly. They were left there intentionally...really! I didn't screw up...nope, not me. Feh. Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, and especially thank you renzokuken-sama, for your advice. Since I'm brand new to this, all helpful advice is appreciated. And I will try, keyword TRY, to lengthen the chapters. I'll go back and revise what I've already done...eventually...maybe. Oh, right, before I forget. Nodoka dealing with all of Ranma's problems will be covered, as I said, either in flashback or sidestory format. Probably sidestory. I wanna do a sidestory! Oh, right, one last thing. The chapters are on the short side 'cause this is all more of a prelude than anything else. The real fun begins soon! I hope...


	7. Chapter 6: Finding You

Disclaimer: As you may have figured out by now, this is a Ranma/Gold Digger crossover. I don't own either series, and I'm not profiting off this writing. There.

AN: Yes, to he who brought it up (you know who you are), the original concept of Ranma and his mother being a werecheetah (not sure about the father) began in an Anime Addventure thread...I think? That particular thread was, I believe, the basis for Thrythlind's Ranma Neko. Unfortunately, I think that it was discontinued...no updates in 3 years. Come to think of it, I can't really come up with more than one completed Ranma/GD fanfic, and that was Smoke and Wind. The world really IS unfair...

* * *

Losing Innocence, Finding Self

Chapter 6: Finding You

* * *

Resting quite comfortably on the bed in the motel room he had rented, Ranma almost winced when his mind began to dwell upon the last three weeks. For most of the flight to Atlanta, his voice had been shot from all the screaming he had done. Nothing like pure, unadulterated terror to show how much you care. Aaah, motherly love.

At first, the "training" had been relatively easy, if a bit nerve wracking. After breaking the seal on his transformation (which was, surprisingly, contained within the family katana), his mother had explained that because the seal had been in place for so long, the altered physical appearance it created was now permanent. Not that he minded one bit, it was hard to imagine what he would like look with blonde hair. The same went for the Saotome matriarch, now that he thought about it.

Changing to his hybrid form had been simple enough, and he admitted to himself that it did feel natural. Looking at himself in a mirror, Ranma found that he liked the new look- even with the feline appearance (do you really need me to describe it? I suck at descriptions, feh. A werecheetah with a pigtail, use your imagination!). He especially enjoyed the new strength by the new form, although it took him a few days to become used to the difference in physical traits. Actually having a tail to assist him somewhat in balancing felt very awkward for a time, but once all the difficulties were out of the way the advantages became quite clear. He was faster, stronger, more durable, and his already impressive healing rate was amplified greatly.

But no, it didn't stop there. His mother had insisted that he change into his cheetah form. After nearly having a heart attack when he saw his reflection, he finally got used to being his own worst fear after several hours. Even then, however, his tail still swished back and forth nervously.

After explaining that wounds caused by magic, other werecreatures, and especially silver would not heal nearly as fast, the Saotome matriarch had moved on to the next phase of the "training". Ranma had sat in the center of his room in his hybrid form as she brought in a box full of small, adorable, deadly, terrifying...er, kittens. He barely managed to keep himself from jumping up and running as fast as his furry legs could carry him as several of the kittens snoozed in his lap, one sat atop his head mewing contentedly, and another batted playfully at his tail. Finally, two hours later the fear began to subside and he played with the tiny felines as his mother watched on, smiling in relief.

Turning his head on the pillow, Ranma grimaced lightly as his thoughts turned towards the next step. It was not enough to play with a bunch of kittens, oh no. Nothing was ever that easy for the pigtailed martial artist turned werecheetah. Next, he had been introduced to a pair of local house cats. At first, he had been fine- the furry demons simply sat and considered the much larger cat before them. After ten minutes of curious eyes locked onto fear stricken ones, the hellish creatures made their move. Ranma finally lost it and began screaming his head off, flailing his arms wildly when the two felines began to purr affectionately and nuzzle him. Unaffected by the werecheetah screaming bloody murder, they continued for about ten minutes before Ranma passed out cold.

Awakened by his mother's gentle voice, he had lifted his head- and instantly regretted it as he found himself looking into a pair of slitted eyes that mirrored his own. Eyes so much like the ones that had shone ethereally in the darkness around him just before the pain had come. Ranma found that he could only watch on in horrified fascination as he waited for the hissing, clawing, and biting to begin.

It never did. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he stared helplessly at the nightmare brought to life, before it dawned on him that the cat truly meant no harm. Hesitantly, he reached forward with a trembling hand and began to pet the creature's head, eliciting a grateful purr in response.

Nodoka had beamed triumphantly as she left Ranma's room. The pigtailed boy in question slept peacefully for the first time in many long years, comforted and guided by his two feline bedmates.

Smiling in remembrance, Ranma stretched his arms slightly and rolled over onto his right side. The smile quickly contorted into a frown once more when the final branch of the training came to mind.

Shuddering, he decided not to dwell on that one. He still had no idea where his mother had gotten a tiger from, and he didn't really care- the point wasn't where it came from, the point was that it ended up in HIS room. After screaming until his voice went hoarse, the tiger occasionally shooting him quizzical looks as it rested on his bed, Ranma had finally managed to scoot out of the corner he had backed himself into. Of course, thirty seconds later he dashed out of the house as fast as his legs could carry him, creating a sonic boom that sent several parked cars tumbling. Nodoka merely shook her head and sighed. 'Maybe this wasn't such a great idea...'

It took him another week and three more tries, but he finally managed to tolerate the presence of the large striped feline. He even reached out a hand to stroke the seemingly gentle animal. Unfortunately, as the pigtailed boy's luck held true to form, the tiger chose that exact moment to open its mouth wide and yawn, displaying rows of wicked fangs. Ranma promptly fainted.

The training wasn't made any easier by his fiances (minus Akane), who kept trying to sneak into his room to see him. They were promptly ejected from the premises by Nodoka. Even Akane had made a visit, getting past the Saotome matriarch with an innocent smile before attempting to smash Ranma into the floor for hurting her poor, defenseless father. Yeah, right. Both werecheetahs took their hybrid forms and politely, ah, convinced the Tendo girl to leave and mind her own business.

The very next day, Genma and Soun had paid them a visit, claiming they wanted to "exorcise the demons possessing the Saotome family". They, being the idiots that they are, chalked Ranma's strange behavior up to an evil spirit taking over his body. Said evil spirit thoroughly beat both old fools before dragging them back to the Tendo home and tossing them both through Akane's window. Not one of the three bothered them again.

Nabiki and Kasumi, however, were free to visit whenever they liked. So were Ryouga and Mousse, but one was constantly lost and the other busy at the Nekohanten. Ranma enjoyed the meetings with the two elder Tendo daughters, as they took his mind off less pleasant things.

Finally, the day of his departure had come. Nodoka, Kasumi, Nabiki, and surprisingly enough, Cologne had shown up to see him off. Nabiki had officially cleared him of all his "debts", smirking at him in a teasing manner. Kasumi hugged him gently and told him to make sure and eat right, and to keep in touch. His mother had kissed him on the cheek and told him how proud she was. Cologne had taken him off to the side and explained that he need not worry about being subject to any Amazon laws. What surprised Ranma even more was when the had handed him a carefully wrapped package with a note attached.

The note had explained that inside the package was a magical artifact. Ranma nearly blanched when he found out what was enclosed, but it was quickly displaced by a smile. The object in question was an amulet with the ability to nullify most forms of direct magic, which the pigtailed fighter greatly appreciated. The only downside was that it had a limited amount of power, and once depleted the amulet would need to recharge over a period of twenty four hours.

(AN: direct magic will be defined as any spell cast directly on the target, such as mind control, curses, physical alterations, etc. Things like fireballs, lightning bolts, and the like will only be weakened in their effects. Eh, maybe I'll change the rules later, but not now.)

As soon as he had gotten on the plane, Ranma was almost but not quite surprised to find dumb and dumber waiting in ambush. How the pair had managed to sneak aboard was beyond him, but he quickly countered their initial attack and retaliated with paralysis pressure points. Bowing and scratching his head apologetically toward the other passengers, he had dragged the two toward the hatch and thrown them out. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you ask, the plane had yet to take off.

Smirking wryly, the former Saotome grumbled to himself and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and began to nod off. Tomorrow was going to be a very... interesting day, if the feeling in his gut was right. And it always was.

* * *

She awoke to the voice of her older sister over the intercom. Blearily, she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. The message was repeated a second and third time before registering with her sleep sleep hazed mind. "Britanny, wake up already! We have a guest. And get this- he's looking for YOU!"

That got her attention. 'Someone's looking for me? Why? This better not end up being another super villain or something, 'cause I'm not in the mood.'

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Britanny cleared her throat and responded, "I'll be right down, just let me get dressed first."

"You better be in your human form, just in case. Not everybody knows what a werecheetah is."

Grumbling to herself (she much prefered her hybrid form, after all), she finally replied, "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I'll change."

Sighing, she shifted to her, in her opinion, far less attractive form as she made her way to the closet. Stopping halfway there, she blinked and bowed her head in thought. 'That feeling just got stronger...does it have something to do with our guest?'

At that thought, Britanny increased her pace. One way or another, she was going to find out.

* * *

To say that Ranma was nervous was an understatement. Somehow, he found himself in somebody else's home, under intense scrutiny. The only thing comforting him at this point was that the usual language barrier wasn't a problem for him. Contrary to popular belief, he HAD paid attention in Ms. Hinako's class from time to time. He also took time to study his textbooks every few days, so that he wouldn't fall behind. Add to that the fact that he had picked up bits and pieces of several languages on his training trip, and English was mastered with little difficulty and minimal effort.

Scratching his head nervously once more, the pigtailed werecheetah in human guise glanced around at the people before him.

The redheaded woman, Julia, was silently studying him. From what he could see, she was a very powerful warrior. Maybe they could spar later? Not that she'd stand a chance, of course.

'The way that boy moves...I'm sure of it, he must be a powerful warrior. I'll ask him to spar after he takes care of whatever business he's here for. Not that he stands a chance, of course.'

Shifting his gaze to the obvious father of the household, Ranma could feel the magic radiating from him. After all, he'd run into magic enough times to develop a sort of sensitivity for it. Theodore Diggers, or Theo as he insisted on being called, fairly reeked of the arcane. The pigtailed boy was suddenly very happy he had the amulet Cologne had given him. If his luck held true to form once more, and he ended up fighting Theo for whatever ridiculous reason, it would come in handy. But it wasn't like he was planning on doing anything that would make the older man wish to hurt him, right?

'His aura...so chaotic. I can barely get a good reading on it! That's odd though...I can see more than one form of magic in his aura, and one of them almost looks like a werecreature's. Very interesting. Whatever he is, if he tries anything with any of my daughters, I'll hurt him!'

Looking toward the blonde girl named Brianna, Ranma had to suppress a shudder. She was looking at him the exact same way Shampoo and sometimes Ukyo used to...only it was much, much more intense.

(AN: Ahaha...no, I'm NOT getting into Brianna's thoughts. It's just...better that way. I'd like to try and keep it rated T, eh?)

Hearing someone approach, he turned his head and beheld another of the Diggers girls, Gina. She took a seat, then proceeded to adjust her glasses and examine him intently.

'Just why are you here? You better not be out to hurt my little sister, or you're in for a big surprise. She's more than capable of kicking that cute butt of yours, and our parents won't just let you get away with it.' Yep, she had gone into protective older sibling mode.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Ranma locked his hands together and stared at them. The waiting was starting to make him nervous, not that it wasn't already a tense situation to begin with. 'Hi, my name's Ranma. I'm a martial artist from Nerima- and surprise, I'm a werecheetah too! Man, I'd rather fight the old freak again.'

Just as he was getting the urge to bolt from all the pressure, Ranma's trained ears detected footsteps coming downstairs. A few moments later, he finally caught sight of the one he had been searching for. 'Blonde hair with brown spots, pointy ears, same eyes as mom when she's in her hybrid form...yep, that'd be her now.'

Sitting down next to her sisters, Britanny got her first look at the mysterious visitor. Her eyes widened when she caught his scent, and she couldn't seem to make her voice work. 'He smells like...can it be true? I'm not the last one?'

Noting the arrival of his third daughter, Theo cleared his throat and cast a wary eye toward Ranma. "Now then young man...I believe you owe us an explanation?"

Squirming uncomfortably for a moment, Ranma rose to his feet and began to speak, somewhat hesitantly. "Well um, you see, my mom told me to come all the way over here and find her."

Following the pigtailed boy's pointed look toward Britanny, Julia relaxed just a hair. As a mother herself, she felt just a bit comforted by that fact. Then again, she still wasn't letting her guard down. "You said you were from Japan, right?"

At Ranma's quick nod she continued, "That's a long way to go to find one person. So...just what IS your business with my daughter?"

Everyone else in the room except Britanny, who was still shocked into silence, tensed up as the former Saotome took a deep breath and shifted slightly. They were ready for any kind of attack, be it magical, physical, or technological. What they weren't ready for was their guest suddenly beginning to strip.

Ignoring the whistle of appreciation that came from...somewhere, Ranma quickly removed his favorite silk shirt, revealing the muscle shirt underneath it. He didn't have to worry about his pants- his mother had planned ahead and gotten him some new, oversized ones for when he might need to change to his hybrid form. Taking another calming breath, he began to speak again, this time in a much steadier voice. "The reason why my mom wanted me to find her is because...er, I'm not quite sure. I guess she was curious about her. She'll be coming here personally in a few weeks. As for why she would be so excited about finding Britanny here...well, you're not the only werecheetah left," he finished lamely.

'I never was any good at making speeches...oh, well, here goes nothing.'

Before anyone could get over their surprise and question him further, Ranma shifted to his hybrid form in all its glory. He grimaced lightly when the muscle shirt tore apart and fell away in pieces, but quickly plastered a nervous smile over it.

The pigtailed werecheetah was met with stunned silence, causing him to sweat lightly underneath his fur. Glancing toward Britanny, he noticed that she had finally snapped back to reality. For some reason he couldn't understand, the feeling of impending doom returned with a vengeance at that exact moment.

Looking up at last, Britanny locked eyes with the other werecheetah. 'I'm not the last one! It really is true! He really is a werecheetah...a good looking werecheetah...very good looking...'

Ranma was progressively feeling more and more nervous as he watched the cute girl before him. 'Wait, cute? Arrgh, this really isn't the time for thinking like that...even if it is true.'

He blinked in puzzlement as the other werecheetah stood up and shifted to her hybrid form, filling out her loose clothes immediately. The entire time she never broke eye contact. Ranma gulped audibly, fearing for the worst. 'Oh come on, not again! The Gods couldn't have it out for me THAT badly...right?'

Somewhere in Heaven, a booming yet musical voice laughed maniacally.

The pigtailed werecheetah's worst fears were realized when Britanny began to slowly step toward him, a dreamy and far-off look on her face complimented by a goofy grin. 'Ack! Time to get out of here!'

"Well, it was nice meeting you all but I need to return to my room at the motel, I'llbesureandkeepintouchthanksforthehospitalityseeyagoodbye!"

The Diggers family blinked in unison as Ranma turned and walked swiftly toward the door. Unfortunately, his emergency escape route, er dignified exit was cut off by a spotted blur. "A motel? Why don't you just stay here, we have plenty of room!"

"Er, you see, I really don't think that's such a good-"

Julia chose that moment to speak up. "I think that's a great idea. You can stay here until your mother arrives."

"But, I uh, wouldn't want to impose. I mooched off the Tendo's long enough, I'd hate to-"

Sensing her elusive quarry about to make a break for it, Britanny made her move.

Ranma nearly jumped out of his skin when the spotted blur suddenly molded itself to his left arm and began dragging him upstairs. "You only have so much money, right? What if your mom is delayed and you run out? Then where will you go, hmm?"

Stumbling for words, the pigtailed werecat hung his head in defeat and replied, "Um...I guess you have a point there..."

Grinning like a cat that had caught a canary (consequently making Ranma shudder), Britanny continued, "Of course I do! Come on, I'll show you to your new room. Don't worry, we're going to take good care of you. Ehehehe."

Barely suppressing a whimper, Ranma allowed the older werecheetah to pull him along. 'How...how do I always end up in these situations! Maybe I have another curse I'm not aware of? At least I don't have to worry about being bored around here, things seem very...interesting.'

Glancing toward the catgirl clinging to his arm and smirking at himvictoriously, he reconsidered his decision to stay. 'I think I'd like to retire now...'

* * *

AN: There, finally. Another chapter. Maybe not the best, but it'll do. Where's Waldo, er Strype? You'll find out next chapter! Thank you for all the reviews, and especially the advice. I think it really is helping me improve, so please continue. Lord, a reference website just for Ranma/GD crossovers would be so useful. Um...there was some other stuff I wanted to say, but I forgot...again. Oh, right. I write things that I'd like to read. That might narrow it down considerably, but eh...I'd lose my mind trying to write something I wasn't into. I'm sure you can understand. Uh yeah, I occasionally respond to stuff in the reviews, so you should read 'em sometimes. Ah...well, I'm tired, so that's all for now. G'bye! 


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